


looking for a home in the heart of the country

by woodchoc_magnum



Series: love will find a way [7]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christopher Diaz is a National Treasure, Eddie Diaz Takes Care of Evan "Buck" Buckley, Eddie Diaz Week 2020 (9-1-1 TV), Everyone Loves Evan "Buck" Buckley, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Found Family, Love at First Sight, M/M, Soft Eddie Diaz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27574751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/woodchoc_magnum/pseuds/woodchoc_magnum
Summary: Day 7: “I’m not always this forward.” + auIn which Eddie is a mechanic; Buck's Jeep breaks down in his small town, and sparks fly.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: love will find a way [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2005498
Comments: 91
Kudos: 376





	looking for a home in the heart of the country

**Author's Note:**

> This is full on Hallmark romance movie shit so... strap in, this fluff is extra sweet.

Thank you to [Ronordmann](https://ronordmann.tumblr.com/) for the beautiful cover!

* * *

The quiet little town of Honeysuckle Hamlet was tucked away in the shadow of a mountain, alongside the picturesque Columbia River, surrounded by towering forests and colourful wildflower fields. The town itself was built in the mid-19th century, and with its charming Main Street shops and classic American architecture, it was a drawcard for tourists year-round, but especially in spring, when the wildflowers were in bloom.

Eddie owned the only mechanic workshop in town, where he serviced the 4,000 residents with two staff and assisted by his son, Christopher, who had a knack for charming everyone with his beaming smile.

It was a friendly place, quiet and peaceful. The kind of place where everyone knew everyone and the streets were empty enough for children to ride their bikes safely.

The kind of place Instagram influencers and YouTube travel vloggers loved to descend upon, which made the locals all smirk at each other and raise their eyebrows.

So when the local tow truck delivered a bright blue Jeep to the workshop one afternoon, Eddie wasn't too surprised to discover the out-of-state tags. The owner was dropped off half an hour later by the local Sheriff, Athena Grant, who pulled up in her police cruiser and called out to him.

"Eddie, here's your brand-new customer," she said, tilting her head towards the tall, blonde man climbing out of her car. "All the way from Philadelphia."

Eddie wiped the grease off his hands with a rag and strode out to greet them. "Afternoon, Athena," he said. "Bobby's busy with the farm today?"

"Yes, we have three new lambs," she chuckled. "We'll organise a barbeque for the long weekend, but for now - Eddie Diaz, this is Evan Buckley. He broke down near Gary Barton's farm and they called in a rescue for him."

"Thank you for the ride," Evan said to her, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "Very much appreciated."

"You're welcome, young man. This is the town mechanic; he'll have you back on the road in no time." Athena winked at Eddie.

"Sure, no problem," he replied easily. "I'll see you at the café in the morning."

"As always." Athena waved to them and pulled away from the kerb.

Eddie turned to Evan, who raised his eyebrows at him and held out his hand. "Hi," he said. "Call me Buck; everyone does." The man was handsome, with a distinctive red birthmark over his left eye, sparkling blue eyes and full, pink lips. When he smiled, his whole face lit up.

Eddie had never seen anyone like him before – Buck seemed to glow from the inside out.

He tried to act normally. "Buck," he repeated, shaking his hand firmly. "What seems to the problem with your car?"

"Well… the check engine light has been on for a while," he admitted, and when Eddie raised his eyebrows, he grimaced. "I was just hoping to get to Seattle."

"You're happy for me to pop the hood and see what we're dealing with?" Eddie asked him. "I am the only mechanic in town, but I'll give you a rundown of how much it will cost. If you're not happy there's another repair shop about eighty miles down the road."

"Oh yeah, Athena vouched for you; she said you're great," he replied. "I've got money; don't worry."

"Not enough to get your car checked out when the check engine light first came on?" Eddie asked, motioning for his staff, Frank and Clay, to help him push the Jeep up to the service bay.

"Honestly, I kinda forgot it was on after a while. This is the first car I've owned in a really long time."

"Ah." Eddie flashed him a smile, putting the car in neutral and pushing it easily into the shop.

Buck followed them, standing in the entryway nervously. "I don't know much about cars."

That much was obvious, but Eddie kept that thought to himself. "Give me half an hour," he said, making sure the car was parked and the handbrake secured. "I'll take a look and let you know. There's a nice café just down the road a ways to the right, or if you head to the left you'll come across the diner run by my friends Hen and Karen, and they'll hook you up with a hearty meal - if you're looking for something substantial. The Bluebird Diner, it's called."

"Oh, great," Buck replied cheerfully. "Do you mind if I grab my camera out of the back? I might do some vlogging while I’m here."

Eddie shrugged. "Sure. Whatever suits you. You one of those Instagram people?"

Buck laughed. "Well, kinda. I have a travel vlog on YouTube called the Lonely Traveller."

The name sounded vaguely familiar, and he wondered if it was one of the travel channels Christopher watched regularly. "Ah, cool. Well, this town is a picturesque little place, so… enjoy," he replied.

"Thanks." Buck gave him a bright smile, and Eddie felt his stomach flip, just a little. "I'll be back in an hour."

"Great. Take your time."

His apprentice, Clay, leaned over the hood of the Jeep and whispered, "He's hot," as Buck left the workshop.

Eddie shook his head. "He's a YouTube person. Not interested."

~

Christopher arrived at the workshop after school, making his way up the driveway on his crutches. "Dad!" he called. Eddie popped his head up from the Jeep. "Whose car is this?"

"A tourist," Eddie replied, wiping his hands on a rag as he went to greet him. "How was school?"

"It was fine, boring but fine," Christopher replied, dumping his backpack on the workbench. "What time are you finishing?"

"The boys have left for the day, but I'm just waiting for the owner of the Jeep to come back and then we'll head home," he replied. "You want anything special for dinner?"

"Nah," Christopher replied, holding his arms out for a hug.

Eddie swept him up into his arms. "You okay, buddy?"

"Yeah, Dad, I'm fine," he replied, his chin on Eddie's shoulder.

"Getting too big for this."

"No, never."

"One day." Eddie kissed his cheek and set him down again. He realised Buck was jogging up the driveway towards them and straightened up. "Ah, here he is. Did they give you a decent meal?"

"I just had a coffee, but we got to talking," Buck replied, and then realised Christopher was in the workshop as well. "Hi, I'm Buck."

Christopher had an amazed expression on his face. "I know who you are! I recognised your Jeep! Dad, this is the guy I was telling you about! Remember I showed you the video of the bears?"

"Oh yeah," Eddie replied thoughtfully, scratching his head. "Yeah, in Alaska? You're that guy? You got way too close, dude."

Buck was practically beaming. "Nah, the camera was zoomed in," he replied, holding up a fancy camera on a stick. "I was upwind as well; they had no idea I was there. You guys watch my channel?"

"I watch all your videos," Christopher said, tugging on Eddie's shirt. "I want to travel as well. Right, Dad?"

"Yeah, he does," Eddie replied, resting his hand on Christopher's shoulder. "Sorry, I should've recognised you, but you wear a cap a lot in your videos."

"Ah, yeah," Buck replied, leaning in through the open window of the Jeep and grabbing a Phillies cap from the back. "This one."

Eddie smiled warmly at him. "Now I know you."

He thought Buck's gaze lingered maybe a beat too long, but then he was focused on Christopher again. "That's so cool you watch my channel! Thanks man. I like your crutches. I went to school with a guy with CP and his were fire-engine red. He was a cool dude. Fist bump?"

Christopher obliged happily. "Can you stay with us?"

"Christopher," Eddie admonished. "We just met. Buck might have somewhere to stay."

"I don't, but that's okay," Buck replied good-naturedly. "I was going to book into that B&B down the road, the cute little place with the rosebushes?"

"Don't," Christopher warned. "The lady is mean."

"Mrs Archer is not mean," Eddie said quickly. "She just doesn't like the kids around her roses."

"They're just _flowers_."

Buck had an odd, affectionate smile on his face. "Well, there's a motel on the other side of town," he suggested. "I could book in there."

"Stay with us, we have so much space!" Christopher exclaimed.

" _Christopher_ ," Eddie hissed again, and shook his head apologetically at Buck. "I'm sorry; I just…"

"I know who he is," Christopher said quizzically. "He's a good guy. I want him to stay with us."

Buck shifted awkwardly, his face red. "It's really okay; I'll stay at the hotel."

Eddie sighed, glancing at the car. "Maybe you'll want to save your cash. Listen man, I'm going to be honest with you. Your car needs a lot of work. Your timing belt badly needs replacing; the brake fluid, brake pads and battery all need to be replaced as well, not to mention the fact that your coolant is pretty much running on empty. Your two back tyres are bald and your left front tyre is just about there as well. I'm pretty sure there's rust on the underside of the car and I don't know if you know this, but you're supposed to add oil to the engine every now and then. You're lucky it didn't completely seize."

Buck blinked at him. "Um…"

"So what I'm saying to you is that your car needs major work, which I'll detail for you, but… you're going to be here a few days and you're going to be short a few… thousand dollars," he said with a wince, expecting that Buck would want to take the car somewhere for a second opinion.

"Oh." Buck thought about it for a moment, and then shrugged. "That's okay. I have to be in Seattle in two weeks, but I can hang around here. Are there plenty of hiking trails?"

"There's tons," Christopher said eagerly. "Can we come with you?"

Before Eddie could respond, Buck said, "Yeah, I'd love you guys to come along." His gaze lingered on Eddie again, and heat spread from Eddie's chest upwards.

"You can stay with us," Christopher declared, and at that, Eddie just couldn't argue anymore. "We have a lot of space. Come home with us."

Buck met Eddie's eyes. Eddie heard himself say, "Yeah, come on. Grab your stuff."

Buck's smile was dazzling.

~

Eddie drove them home in his pick-up truck, Christopher between them on the bench seat, chatting with Buck happily. Eddie waved to people as they drove down the main street, and then turned off onto a tree-lined dirt road leading to his property.

"How long have you lived in this town?" Buck asked him curiously.

"We've been here five years," he replied. "We moved here after I was discharged from the army."

"Oh, you're a veteran?"

"Yeah, two tours of Afghanistan. I was an army medic." Eddie pulled over at the mailbox, jumping out to collect their parcels. He handed them to Christopher as he climbed back into the truck, continuing down the driveway towards their house. At Buck's sharp intake of breath, he bit back a smile.

They really did have a beautiful house. It was an old wooden farmhouse with a wraparound porch, forest green in colour, with a dark grey roof. The trim and porch railings were white. He'd painted it himself after they'd first moved in, and they'd done some minor renovations to make it more accessible for Christopher.

Rose bushes lined the porch, and the house itself was on its own in the woods, surrounded by towering pines, a little slice of paradise tucked away from the rest of the town. Eddie pulled up in his usual spot and slid out, taking the parcels and Christopher's backpack, and helping him out as well.

Buck was staring at the house, a wondrous look on his face. "You live here."

Eddie laughed. "Yeah, we do."

"In this house."

"Yep." Eddie carried the parcels over to the porch and dumped them, and then helped Christopher up to the front door. Buck followed them, letting out a gasp.

"You have a porch swing."

"Yep, I built it myself." Eddie let Christopher into the house. "Homework then shower, mister."

"Aw, but I wanted to talk to Buck," Christopher complained.

"You have to do your homework and have a shower first." Eddie collected the parcels and led Buck inside. "I did some renovations when we first moved in. Christopher's bedroom is on the first floor but I'm up on the second, and there's a spare room up there for you as well."

"Are you sure it's okay for me to stay here?" Buck asked hesitantly. "I mean, your kid kinda twisted your arm."

Eddie shrugged. "I feel like a guy with a YouTube channel isn't going to slaughter us in our sleep, so you're fine. You want a beer?"

"Sure."

"Just dump your bags near the stairs and make yourself at home; I'll give you a tour after I clean myself up a bit," Eddie replied, shrugging out of his coat and hanging it on the rack near the door. He toed off his work boots and lined them up beneath the coats, unbuttoning his flannel shirt as he went to the kitchen. "What have you got waiting for you in Seattle?" he asked as he scrubbed his hands in the sink.

"Well, I'm meant to be moving there," Buck replied, his voice wafting to the kitchen from the entryway. "I was going to try my hand at crab fishing."

"What, like _Deadliest Catch_?" Eddie asked, shutting off the tap and then grabbing two beers from the fridge. "For real?"

"Yeah, but not the hardcore stuff in Alaska; there's fishing in Seattle. I was thinking about trying to settle down for a while… you know. I've been travelling on my own, mostly, for the last eight years."

Eddie went back into the living room to find Buck gazing at the pictures on the mantle. "Eight years? Wow," he replied, impressed, passing Buck a beer. "Every continent?"

Buck nodded. "Yep, every continent including Antarctica, and every American state. Every country in South America as well."

"Good for you, man, that's amazing. I haven't been anywhere but here, Mexico, Afghanistan and briefly, for a two week stint, Canada." Eddie uncapped his beer and sat down in his armchair, kicking out the footrest.

Buck sat down on the couch, leaning back against the cushions and crossing his long legs. He popped the top off his beer and took a long swig, tilting his head back. "Nice," he commented, examining the label. "Local?"

"Yeah, from the brewery here. I work on their trucks; they give me beer." Eddie flashed him a grin.

"Good deal." Buck studied him curiously, and then asked, "You're a mechanic, but you were a medic in the army?"

Eddie nodded ruefully. "Yep."

"How'd that happen?"

"My father is a mechanic and I was meant to go into business with him, but I met Shannon and—" he glanced around to ensure they were alone, lowering his voice, "got her pregnant, and decided… the army was the way to go. For the healthcare, you know?"

"Oh yeah, sure."

"But working on cars is the thing I enjoy, so I picked it back up again afterwards, and here we are." He sipped his beer. "And you? Just travelling, huh?"

Buck nodded. "Yeah, initially when I started I was making videos and documenting it just for myself, but… slowly gained a following, and here we are," he replied with an embarrassed chuckle. "Eight years later and like, nearly two million subscribers? Got the plaque from YouTube and everything. I've even been nominated for some Webby awards."

"Are they… good?" Eddie asked. He had absolutely no idea about the internet; he just watched whatever Christopher showed him.

"Nah, they're like… the internet rewarding itself for being the internet, I guess," he replied, rolling his eyes. "I didn't win; I wasn't expecting to. The subscribers are just a bonus. It's not really why I do it. Hey, is your wife… is she cool with me staying here? I didn't realise you were married."

Eddie let out an awkward chuckle and said, "I'm not married. Widower. She passed away two years ago."

"Ah, shit." Buck clapped a hand over his mouth guiltily. "Sorry man. I didn't know."

"That's okay. And honestly, it's fine. You seem like a nice guy. I'm a pretty good judge of character."

~

Eddie threw some meat on the grill while Buck and Christopher chatted, going through the videos on his YouTube channel. Eddie was impressed by Buck and liked him more and more with each passing minute – especially with how he treated Christopher, answering every single question and speaking to him like he was an adult. Sometimes people were dismissive, but not Buck.

Eddie threw together a garden salad and threw some sliced potatoes and onion on the grill to cook, leaving Buck and Christopher in charge of buttering the bread rolls. Once everything was cooked, he carried the tray over to the table and set it down on the wooden board in the middle, ducking back inside the house to grab extra drinks and condiments.

When he returned and took his seat beside Christopher, Buck was gazing at him admiringly. "You know how to work a grill."

Eddie laughed. "That's about it, though. Dig in. Chris, you want some sausages?"

Buck regaled them with tales of his adventures over dinner – he was a great, animated storyteller, and had a wonderful habit of speaking with his hands. He had Christopher's rapt attention, and Eddie's as well – he was totally charmed by him, and could happily listen to him speak for hours.

Buck was gorgeous, glowing with life and happiness, though Eddie detected something beneath the surface, like… he thought he'd experienced everything life had to offer. An emptiness, maybe… that he hadn't found the thing he'd been searching for.

Buck offered to clean up, so Eddie left him to it and put Christopher to bed. He read him a chapter of his book and was about to get up when Christopher wrapped a hand around his wrist and said, "Dad, I want him to stay forever."

He laughed gently. "He's got his own life."

"I know, but… I think he belongs here, with us." Christopher gazed up at him seriously. "I think he was meant to find us."

"You've been reading too many stories, kiddo."

"No, Dad… you've been sad and lonely, and I have too, and… he could make us both happy. I think."

Eddie just shook his head. "It's a nice thought, buddy. He'll be here for a while, and we'll make friends with him and stay in touch. Okay?"

Christopher heaved a sigh. "You'll see," he mumbled, turning his head to the side. "You will see."

Eddie kissed him on the forehead, whispered, "I love you," and flicked the light off as he left the room.

Buck was waiting for him in the living room, and he turned to face him with a smile, his hands in his pockets. "Hey," he said, and pointed to a picture on the mantle. "That's Texas. You're from Texas?"

"Yeah, El Paso," Eddie replied, perching on the edge of the couch. "My family still lives there."

"How the hell did you end up here, in Storybook USA?"

He let out a breathy laugh and said, "Uh… we ran away. We googled picturesque American towns in the Pacific north-west, and this was in the top ten. Shannon and my parents didn't get along, and we needed a change. We moved here five years ago, and I started working with the mechanic who used to own the shop – Bobby, Athena's husband - and Shannon picked up some work at the diner. She was diagnosed with cancer and…" he trailed off. "That was it. But she found this house for us before she passed away, and… I sort of threw myself into doing it up."

"And now you own the workshop as well," Buck said, sounding impressed.

"Yeah, Bobby retired last year – bad back," he explained. "He sold me the business. Honestly, we couldn't have picked a better place to make our home. The school is great; Christopher has a ton of friends… I made friends more easily than I ever have in my life. After Shannon died, they all rallied around us… I didn't have to cook for months. It was the best decision we ever made – well, she made for us," he corrected. "My parents want us to come home, but… we'd never leave. Not when we found a family here."

Buck was gazing at him with an unreadable expression on his face. He finally cleared his throat and said, "Sounds idyllic."

"I'll show you around tomorrow, if you want," Eddie offered. "We only open until midday on Fridays, so… I have the afternoon. I can introduce you to everyone."

"That'd be great," Buck replied eagerly. "I'd love that."

"Great." Eddie found himself smiling at Buck, who was beaming right back at him, and he thought, _god, he is beautiful._

He hadn't felt that way about _anyone_ since Shannon.

~

He set Buck up the following morning with a map to a nearby waterfall, and a plan to meet him at the workshop at midday. Eddie went for his usual coffee and catch-up with Hen, Karen, Athena and Bobby at the diner – surprised and happy to find Chimney there with them. He'd been off fighting bushfires in Australia for the past month, but he was _back_ , and threw his arms around Eddie in a burly hug.

Karen was the first to bring it up, during a lull in conversation – "Eddie's got a man."

"No," he objected, but she and Hen were both _oohing_ at him.

"That nice young man I dropped to your workshop yesterday? You could do worse," Athena remarked, sipping her coffee. "So friendly. Couldn't stop raving about how beautiful the area is."

Bobby raised his eyebrows at Eddie. "Where have you left him? Why didn't you introduce us?"

"He's walking to the waterfall near our place and then I'm giving him a tour this afternoon," he replied, embarrassed. "He's nice. Christopher loves him already."

"This could be good for you," Hen murmured. "This could be someone special, Eddie."

"You guys, I've only known him a day."

"He's at your house," Karen said, poking him in the shoulder. "You let him stay at your house. That's not like you."

"He's nice," he protested. "He and Christopher just… got along like a house on fire."

"No jokes about that," Chimney said dryly. "Seen enough of that to last me a lifetime."

"Sorry, man. But still. I just… I'm just being nice. Hospitable, like you guys were when we moved here."

"Let's have a get together," Karen suggested. "At our house, on Saturday night – bring him with you, Eddie. We'll make pizzas in the brand new pizza oven!"

Hen groaned. "Any excuse."

"You guys just want to interrogate him," he complained.

Chimney nudged him. "Of course we do. We've got to make sure he's good enough for you, Diaz."

"And for Christopher," Athena remarked.

"I never said I liked the guy!"

"Oh please, he's staying in your house," Hen said dismissively. "You haven't looked at anyone since Shannon died, and I know you've been asked out once or twice. You can tell us, you know – that you think he's handsome and nice."

Eddie was bright red. "Can we change the topic please?"

The group exchanged knowing looks, and it was Chimney who patted him firmly on the shoulder. "Might be good," he said, raising his eyebrows at Eddie. "Time to move on."

_Maybe_ , he thought, sipping his cup of coffee. Maybe.

~

Buck was punctual, arriving at the workshop right on midday. Eddie had already sent his employees home, and flashed him a smile as he entered. "Hey man. How was the waterfall?"

"I actually didn't get that far," Buck replied, hitching his backpack up on his shoulder. "Did you know there's a whole meadow full of wildflowers like ten minutes from your house?"

He laughed. "Yeah, Chris and I go there all the time. That's what you were doing?"

"For a while, and just exploring, man…" Buck trailed off. "I can't get over how beautiful this place is. That mountain isn't a volcano, is it?"

"No, but there's one about fifty miles away." Eddie rinsed his hands in the sink. "You ready for a tour?"

"Yeah, definitely," Buck agreed eagerly. "Are you okay if I film?"

"Sure, just… I'm not sure about being on camera," he said awkwardly. "I don't know. I'm not very interesting."

Buck raised his eyebrows. "I think you are," he murmured, "and I can tell you categorically that the camera would love you."

He met Buck's eyes, blushing, shaking his head. "No."

Buck's eyes were luminous. "Believe me. I know."

"I bet you say that to all the cute mechanics."

"No way. Just you." Buck took a step towards him. "You're the cutest mechanic I've ever seen."

Eddie let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his neck. "No."

"Yeah, you are." Buck's voice was low. "The cutest mechanic in the world's loveliest town… with the most amazing kid I've ever met in my life. You are perfect, Eddie."

He shook his head, embarrassed. "No."

"Yeah. So where are we going?" Buck asked, changing the subject, though he couldn't wipe the mischievous grin from his face.

"Um… well, I'll take you to the waterfall," he said, clearing his throat, "since you didn't get that far, and then we might pick up Christopher so he can come with us for the rest of the tour. We can go for a drive up the mountain; he loves it up there. Spectacular view."

"Lunch?" Buck asked hopefully.

He grinned. "Yeah, we can eat at the diner. Oh, and… tomorrow night, if you're free, we're having a get-together at Hen and Karen's, and you're invited. I think they want to interrogate you and possibly drive you nuts, but… you can meet my friends."

"I'd love that," Buck replied eagerly. "That sounds great. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop but this is like the nicest place on the planet."

"Yeah, it's pretty special. Come on. Let's grab some lunch and go to the waterfall."

~

Hen and Karen were delighted to see them, and willing participants for Buck's vlog. Eddie rolled his eyes at it, but while Buck was distracted with Hen at the pie case, Karen pulled him in close and said, "He's so hot, Eddie, and he can't stop staring at you. You've got this."

Eddie nudged her, shaking his head, just as Buck glanced over towards him with his eyebrows raised. They shared a smile, and Karen's hand closed around his wrist tightly.

"He likes you," she said in his ear. "You've been so lonely. Be bold, Eddie."

"He's leaving," he murmured back.

"You have to try. You have to."

He sighed, nodding, his heart beating a little faster. "I know, I just… I don't know how to do this."

"Just go with your gut. Be brave, like you're always telling Christopher, okay? Don't let this guy slip through your fingers because you were too afraid to try." Karen's voice was low. "Just give it a chance."

He couldn't help but glance over at Buck again, who had his camera up, taking in a wide shot of the diner. He stopped on Karen and Eddie, and even though his face was partially obscured, Eddie could see him smiling.

"You better get my good side!" Karen shouted at him, releasing Eddie and stalking over to him. "Give me a look at that."

Buck was laughing as he showed her the camera, casting a quick look in Eddie's direction. They shared a smile, and it was like Eddie's heart, long dormant, began to beat again.

~

They took the shortcut to the waterfall, Eddie leading Buck along the uneven trail and over a tree that had fallen in a winter storm the previous year. Buck was filming, and Eddie was sure he was in shot a few times, but Buck didn't ask anything of him, and he relaxed.

They could hear the waterfall before they could see it, and as the trees opened up and it came into view, Buck let out a gasp. "Oh my god."

It was a lovely spot, especially when the water was running – the waterfall itself wasn't huge, but it was pretty – a small rocky outcrop in a grove of trees, with a curtain of sparkling water. It helped that the sun was hitting the falls just right, and the place was deserted. On the weekends it was a popular picnic spot.

Now that they were there, and nobody else was around, Eddie wasn't going to let the opportunity for a quick dip pass him by. He pulled his shirt over his head and undid his belt, only remembering he wasn't alone when he turned around to find Buck staring at him with huge eyes.

"Oh," he said, suddenly wishing he hadn't been so quick to shed his clothes. "I'm just going to take a quick dip. You want to come in as well?"

"Uh, yes," Buck stammered, fumbling with his video equipment. He packed everything away quickly, and then shed his own clothes, down to his underwear.

Eddie tried hard not to look at the tattoos and the defined muscles on his stomach, and the way his underwear clung to him in all the right places. He tried not to look at the light covering of blonde hair on his chest, or at his strong thighs, or at him directly or indirectly or at all.

Instead, clad only in his boxers and hoping to god he wouldn't suddenly sprout an erection like a 13-year-old boy, he carefully descended into the water and swam out to the middle of the pool. The water was cool and crisp. His skin tingled, and he turned onto his back, watching as Buck made his way out towards him.

Eddie hadn't been with anyone since Shannon died; hadn't even looked at anyone with interest. There were a few women at the school who flirted with him regularly – a couple of single moms – but he always shut them down, politely and firmly. There was a part of him that understood he'd never love another woman again, not the way he'd loved Shannon, and really didn't want to be with a woman again. He'd loved her, and she was gone, and… he wanted something different.

He wanted Buck, who was swimming towards him like a goddamn angel sent from heaven.

They tread water, a few feet apart, staring at each other. There was electricity between them that was incredible, like nothing he'd ever experienced before. Buck licked his full lips, his eyes trained on Eddie, as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing and he couldn't bear to look away.

Eddie moved towards him, ever so slightly, wanting to throw caution to the wind. "Buck."

"Yes?" Buck's voice was filled with hope.

"I'm not always this forward, but… I really want to kiss you," he confessed. "Can I?"

"Yes," Buck said eagerly. "Yes. Please."

Eddie moved closer, and Buck took his hand, pulling him in. Eddie hooked his legs around Buck's waist, gazing into his eyes, and asked, unable to keep the amazement out of his voice, "How the hell did you end up here?"

Something sorrowful flashed in Buck's eyes. "I don't know… I've been wandering all around. Searching for something to give my life meaning."

"What are you looking for?" he asked, touching his cheek.

Buck gave him a sad smile. "Someone to love… and someone to love me."

"You're lonely."

"Yeah. So are you." Buck licked his lips, reaching up to push Eddie's hair off his forehead.

He nodded. "I try to tell myself it's okay, but…"

"It's not." Buck's hand was on the small of his back, holding him in place. "I sleep around," he confessed, "to make myself feel less alone, but… I don't want you to think that I'm using you. I know we've only known each other a day but… I want something _real._ You know?"

He nodded. "Me too."

Buck gave him a hopeful smile. "Kiss me."

So he did, floating in the middle of a picturesque pool of freshwater beneath a waterfall on a Friday afternoon in September.

~

The thing about Buck was that he attracted people to him wherever he went. Maybe it was the smile, or the charming personality, or just whatever it was about _him_ – his aura, maybe? Wherever they went, people approached to introduce themselves to him.

They ran across Bobby in the main street, still damp from their swim, bumping into each other on purpose and brushing hands. Bobby shook Buck's hand heartily and introduced himself, and suddenly they were chatting like old friends, as if they'd known each other in another life. Bobby grasped Buck's shoulder and raised his eyebrows at Eddie pointedly, and he found himself blushing again.

He stopped into the fire station to say hi to Chimney, who was more than happy to be introduced to Buck. Chimney had obviously stalked his YouTube channel, and dropped references and locations into the conversation as though he had no idea that Buck was a travel vlogger.

Buck glanced at him knowingly, but played along.

From there they picked up Christopher at school and spent the rest of the afternoon doing the touristy, sight-seeing things. Buck's camera rarely left his hand, and when they were at look-out halfway up the mountain, gazing out at the town beneath them, he said, "Can I take a photo of you and Christopher?"

"Yes," Christopher agreed eagerly, already in Eddie's arms. "Yep!"

"For the vlog?" Eddie asked uncertainly.

Buck shook his head. "For me," he replied, holding up his camera. "Smile." They did, genuinely, and Buck examined the photo with a soft smile of his own. "That's a keeper."

~

When Christopher was asleep in bed, Eddie found Buck out on the back porch, gazing up at the stars, and took a seat beside him on the stairs. Buck glanced over at Eddie and said, "Thanks for today. It was great."

"You're welcome. I could work on your car for you over the weekend if you were wanting to rush off."

Buck shook his head. "Take as long as you want, man." He turned around, leaning against the railing, and said, "I don't think Seattle is the answer."

"Crab fishing, dude?"

He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I kinda want to do something… unexpected. I mean, I always have done the unexpected thing, but like… something my father would be even unhappier about, you know?"

Eddie nudged Buck with his shoulder. "Your father doesn't approve of the YouTube thing?"

"No." Buck's voice was low. "He wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer or something. I kept telling him I wasn't smart enough."

"You went to college, though?"

"Yeah. I did a communications degree. He wasn't happy but he thought I might do journalism or something, but instead I just took off as soon as I graduated. Headed to Europe."

"So why the YouTube thing then?"

Buck shrugged. "At the start it was just to document my travels for myself, but more and more people started watching. I never really changed what I was doing or who I was; no fancy hotels or anything like that. No luxury holidays. I like going off the beaten path and seeing the real side of countries, rather than just the touristy stuff. More viewers meant that my revenue stream went up. I've always been pretty good about flying budget, using points stuff like that… so money's never really been an issue. I get asked all the time how I travel so cheaply, so now it's like… here are the places I'm going, here's how much it cost, here's how you can do it too – that sort of thing."

"But you don't want to do it anymore."

He shook his head. "No. I mean… this past year I decided to travel around America and Canada, go to all new places… and I've been on my own the whole time. The thing about travelling internationally is that you make friends with other travellers and you make plans together; it's this whole community of people, but… here, I've been avoiding that, trying to do it on my own. Trying to figure out what I want and where I want to live. For a long time I thought about leaving the US and moving to New Zealand, or Australia, or even somewhere in Europe, maybe England… but I thought I needed to do one big extensive tour of America and then decide."

"And then it was crab fishing," Eddie said wryly.

Buck laughed. "It was just a thought. It's adventurous, I guess. I like the show. Honestly, I think I'll get to Seattle and decide it's not for me, but I don't want to wander forever. I just… want to stay and put down roots. I'm really lonely," he admitted. "The title of the vlog is not whimsical. It's the truth. I'm so fucking lonely."

Eddie regarded him with surprise, and instinctively shifted closer. "Me too."

"You have your son, at least."

"Yeah, but…" he trailed off, wrestling with his emotions. "I loved my wife, and I miss her… and for the last six months or so, people have been quietly suggesting that maybe I try to meet someone, but… I couldn't bear the thought of being with another woman. That probably sounds fucking stupid; I don't know. I just… know that if I fall in love again, it's not going to be with a woman."

"You kissed me today," Buck murmured.

"I like you," he said boldly.

Buck smiled at him. "I like you too."

"I let you stay here… I don't know. Christopher thinks you're great. My friends tell me I should be brave, so… I was brave."

"Very brave," Buck replied, nudging him with his shoulder. "I wasn't expecting it at all."

He grinned. "It was just… a spur of the moment thing."

"So it won't happen again?"

Eddie glanced at him, found Buck licking his lips, and leaned in to kiss him impulsively.

~

A week passed, which was more than enough time for everyone to fall in love with Buck. He became a regular fixture at the diner, joining Eddie there in the morning for breakfast with the gang, before heading off on whatever adventure he was up to. He became firm friends with Bobby and Chimney, and Bobby was the one who offered to show him around while Eddie was at work.

There was a setback with the jeep – parts needed to be ordered, and Buck's plans to go to Seattle were pushed back. Not that Eddie minded – as long as Buck was around, he had someone to make-out with, usually in the hammock in the backyard at night while Christopher was asleep.

They talked a lot about their lives. Buck showed him pictures from his travels – he'd been to over a hundred different countries. He spoke Spanish pretty much fluently, and had even picked a few other languages, though not as well – he could hold a simple conversation in French, and could ask basic questions in Mandarin. One of the things Eddie liked the most about him was how passionately he spoke about all the countries he'd been to – even though he'd had some bad experiences here and there, he could still find the good in the places he'd seen and the people he'd met.

He was a seasoned traveller and knew all the tricks of the trade. The man hadn't paid full price for a hotel room or airfare in years. He loved camping and could sleep anywhere, and had knowledge of astronomy that Eddie was envious of. Eddie even dusted off the telescope in Christopher's room that they'd used maybe _once_ since they'd moved to Washington, and one night they took it out to the meadow, and lay among the flowers looking up at the stars.

Eddie found himself wanting to open up more and more. Over beers at the local bar one night, he confided in Buck about his marriage – how rocky things were when he came back from Afghanistan; how Shannon had threatened to leave if he didn't step up. He took stock of their lives and their relationship, and how unhappy his parents and El Paso made _him_ as well, and that's when they came up with the plan to move somewhere completely different.

He told Buck about how happy they were at first; how they were welcomed with open arms. Their relationship had never been stronger; they were talking about having another baby, and then… Shannon was diagnosed with breast cancer at the tender age of 29.

Neither of them saw that coming, and not even the doctors predicted how aggressive the cancer was. The cancer sapped her of energy, her happiness, her enjoyment of life, and four months after the initial diagnosis, she died in her sleep, with Eddie by her side.

From thinking that they were going to have another child to losing his wife in the space of six months, Eddie had struggled to cope. He told Buck about how their friends rallied around him; how his fridge was always full; how someone was checking in on him every day. His parents had flown to stay with him, begging him to return to El Paso with Christopher, but he'd resisted, and it was finally Bobby who stepped in and told them politely but firmly that they were not helping the situation, and it would be better if they left. Eddie hadn't seen them since.

Their lives were so different. Buck was aimless, always searching for something, and Eddie just wanted stability. He loved routine and order. He ran a tight ship at home and at the workshop, and he doted on his son.

Most nights they lay in the hammock together and talked and kissed, and it was like Eddie had known him all his life; like it hadn't only been days since they first met. The stars were shining above them, the air was crisp, but Buck's arms were cosy and warm.

He started to think he might never want him to leave.

~

It took two weeks, but finally the jeep was repaired and running smoothly. Buck brought it back to Eddie's house, and Eddie noticed him with his camera, vlogging about it, and guessed that maybe the end was near. Maybe the restless wanderer would head off alone again.

The thought made Eddie's heart ache. He really didn't want Buck to leave – he _liked_ him, so much, and wanted him to stick around. Wanted to see if the spark between them could become something more. He wasn't sure how to bring it up – after all, they'd only known each other a fortnight, had spent a lot of that time kissing and talking about their lives, but he always had a feeling that Buck was going to leave, regardless of whatever it was brewing between them.

That night, he and Buck went out to the hammock together, and as they lay down beside each other, Buck admitted, "I lied about the crab fishing."

Eddie gave him a surprised look as he settled back in his arms. "You did? Why?"

"Trying to make myself sound adventurous and brave," Buck replied, embarrassed. "You're a mechanic, and I thought… I'm going to impress him with crab fishing, but you saw right through me."

"I mean, it's not crazy to think you'd be into it – lots of people go to Seattle and then up to Alaska trying to do it, I mean… you're a big strong guy."

Buck nodded. "Honestly? There's nothing in Seattle. I'm totally lost. I've been driving all over the country all year just trying to find something, and I don't even know what I'm looking for."

"Well, what do you want?" Eddie asked him, his head on Buck's shoulder.

"I thought I wanted a wife and kids," he admitted. "And I meet a lot of girls, you know… I date a lot of girls."

"Yeah, you said you slept around a lot."

"It's because I have nothing else to offer people," Buck said, his voice low. "All I have is how I look. I can be charming; I can… talk someone into bed, but… in the morning, they're not asking me for my number. They're not asking to stick around or offering to buy me a coffee. It's 'thanks, you were great, this was great, see you around.' And when I do meet someone I really like, and I try not to leap into bed with them, it's fine until I try to get real. Until I tell them that I want more, and then it's, 'I thought we were just having fun.' I can't win."

Eddie said quietly, "I'm still here."

"Yeah, but I’m feeling like… I might be reading more into this than what it is," Buck replied hesitantly. "That you think this is just making out, and you don't want… something more. And that's okay, if you don't."

"How do you know I don't want something more?" he asked quizzically.

"Um…" Buck trailed off. "I feel like you have a wall up to protect yourself, and I get that, because you have Christopher, and you need to think about him. I think I'm probably good for right now and then you'll want to move on. I think you'll probably forget me as soon as I leave town."

At that Eddie grimaced, propping himself up. "Have I given you a reason to think any of these things?"

"You don't have to. It always happens."

Eddie examined him, and then threw his legs over the side of the hammock and stood up. "Just so you know," he began irritably, "I don't actually let random tourists stay in my house if I'm fixing their car. I don't let my kid make friends with people that are just passing through. I don't… take tourists to secret waterfalls and make-out with them, and I don't spend every night with a new person in this hammock. I like you. My son likes you. My friends like you – hell, everyone I know in this town likes you."

Buck slipped out of the hammock as well, standing before him, arms wrapped around his stomach anxiously. "I don't know."

"Kissing you, sharing my house, letting you spend time with Christopher – I never do this," he said emphatically. "I have a good feeling about you. I know you're lost, but… I think you like me too, right? I think you like it here, and I think you're scared."

"Scared?"

"Of stopping in one place. Of giving up on travelling, of… allowing yourself to make real, lasting connections with people and build a life," he replied, frustrated. "It's okay to stop."

Buck looked a little taken aback. "I know that," he replied. "But I stop… and… the real world catches up. Suddenly I have responsibilities and people to answer to."

"What's wrong with that?"

Buck shook his head, shutting down. "I can't talk to you about this."

Eddie considered him, and said, "Buck, I've told you… private things," he said emphatically. "Things I've never told anyone. You think I'm leading you on? Using you?"

"I don't know, Eddie," he replied quietly. "I don't know if I can trust anyone. I don't know if you're just lonely and looking for some temporary company, or if there is something between us. I think… I should probably leave."

He felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. Stupidly, he'd thought Buck might stay.

"There's a whole group of people here who like you," he said after a long silence. "Bobby thinks the sun shines out of your ass, Buck. And Christopher… my kid worships you, man."

"I was always leaving," Buck said unconvincingly.

"Maybe this is the place you've been searching for," he said, a little desperately, taking a step forward. "Maybe this is where you can stop."

"I don't know."

"What are you scared of, Buck? Why are you so afraid to let people in? What happened to you?"

And suddenly Buck was stepping away, shaking his head, blinking back tears. "You don't know… you can't understand."

"Try me. If you're gonna leave, just be honest with me about why you don't think you can stay here."

"Because everyone leaves," Buck said brokenly. "Everyone I love, leaves. My mother walked out on my father when I was six years old and never looked back." His lips were trembling as he tried to control his emotions. "She never came back. She didn't answer my letters, she never talked to me on the phone… she just left. And my father married someone else, and… then he was gone, too. And they stuck me in a boarding school after my sister left…" he was crying, tears dripping freely down his cheeks. "My sister left to go to college, and I hardly ever saw her… and everyone else got to go home for Christmas and I had nothing and no one. I'd come home to a big empty house because they were holidaying in Europe, and… I have been _alone_ , my entire life. I don't believe you when you say that… there's a place for me here, because there's no place for me anywhere."

Without thinking, Eddie closed the gap, pulling Buck into an embrace – cupping the back of his neck with one hand, pressing his cheek against Buck's. His face was damp, and he was gasping, trying to fight back his tears. Buck finally clutched at Eddie's biceps with both hands and whispered, "You'll get sick of me as well."

He could reiterate everything he'd done and said that was out of the norm for him, but instead he pulled back, searching Buck's eyes, and said gently, "I think I might've been waiting for you to find me."

Buck sucked in a shaky breath, his face contorting. "No."

"I think you might've been searching everywhere for your home. I think it's here with us."

" _Eddie._ "

"I think… that you and I could be good for each other. You could be good for Christopher… he loves you, and he's only known you two weeks. Buck… I think you should stay."

Buck's fingers were digging into his arms. "You want me to stay," he whispered.

Eddie nodded solemnly. "Yes."

"You'll figure out that I'm not worth it," Buck said, so hard on himself – always so damn hard on himself. How could someone with the personality of sunshine and rainbows be harbouring so much self-hatred?

"Well," Eddie finally said softly, "my parents always made me feel like I'm not good enough, so maybe… you'll think so too."

"No," Buck objected, clutching him even tighter. "Don't say that."

"Yeah, see how it feels, right?" Eddie raised his eyebrows. "I think you're the best person I ever met, and my kid thinks you're the greatest human being who has ever lived, so… maybe we need to work on your self-esteem."

"And yours." Buck pressed his forehead against Eddie's. "Oh god. I don't know."

"You don't have to make a decision right now… you could give it a couple of days." Eddie licked his lips, sliding his hand down Buck's back. "Come to bed with me? To sleep… just to sleep. I just want to be near you."

Buck nodded. "Just to sleep."

"Yes, please…" Eddie tilted his head up, their lips brushing together. "Please. Don't go."

"Oh, Eddie…" Buck's voice was so quiet; it was almost lost to the sound of the cicadas and crickets chirping in the background. "Please."

"Come on."

They stumbled back to the house, up the porch stairs and inside. Eddie had enough sense to lock up and flick the downstairs lights off before taking Buck by the hand and leading him up to his bedroom.

He hadn't had another person in his bedroom since Shannon had died, and it was the definition of a bachelor pad. Eddie noticed Buck looking around at the stark walls unhappily, before he pulled Eddie into his arms, brushed a soft kiss to his lips and murmured, "You deserve so much. God… I wish I could make you happy."

"You can," he insisted, trading another kiss. "You can. Just stay for a while."

"Eddie," Buck murmured against his lips, tugging at his shirt. "Can I… can we… I want to feel you, can we…"

Eddie nodded, sliding his hands under Buck's shirt. "Yes, come to bed with me. Come on. I'm not using you, Buck… I wouldn't do that."

"I know," Buck breathed, pulling Eddie's shirt up and over his head. "I know. You're different. I know that."

Eddie wrapped his arms around Buck's neck and kissed him, humming against his lips. Buck backed him up to the bed and guided him down onto his back, sliding on top of him.

"Stay," Eddie whispered, twisting his fingers in Buck's hair. "Please stay."

Buck didn't respond, kissing him again instead.

~

In retrospect, he should've realised the following morning that Buck was leaving, from the lingering looks he gave Eddie as they dressed, or the way he paid special attention to Christopher, even taking a selfie with him before he left for school. But Eddie was late, and in a rush, and as Christopher made his way out to the car, he traded final kisses with Buck in the hallway as he pulled on his jacket.

"Come by the workshop," he said, not realising that Buck was readying to leave him. "Keep me company."

"I'm just going to go for a swim at the waterfall, and then I'll stop by," Buck replied with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You're late. Go on."

"Lunch," Eddie said to him meaningfully. "We're having lunch."

"Yeah, sure." Buck ushered him out the door. "Go on."

"Okay." Eddie flashed him a smile. "See you soon."

~

He didn't show up to the workshop, but Eddie was so busy that he forgot all about it, anyway – and when it came time for lunch, Clay ran down to the diner to grab them some takeaway. He paused long enough to shoot Buck a quick message, letting him know that he was snowed under and he'd see him at home.

Home – he typed it so easily and believed it as well. Buck had made himself at home in Eddie and Christopher's house, so much so that it felt like he lived there as well. Not for one moment during the day did Eddie stop to consider that Buck might not be waiting for him when he returned – not until Christopher arrived in the early afternoon, shouting at him from the driveway. "Dad! Dad!"

Something was wrong. Eddie dropped his wrench, narrowly missing Clay's foot, and sprinted out to the driveway where Christopher was standing with Bobby. "What's wrong?" he asked urgently.

"Buck's gone," Bobby replied, sorrow flashing across his face briefly. "He's not at your place, and there was a note for you on the kitchen counter, saying goodbye and thanks for everything."

"And he posted on Instagram that he was travelling again," Christopher said, so distraught he could hardly speak. "Dad, he never said goodbye to me!" And with that, he began to sob, his crutches falling to the ground as Eddie swooped in to hug him.

Eddie looked up at Bobby, shaking his head in disbelief. "He told me… we talked about it - he was going to stay."

Bobby shrugged, on the verge of tears himself. "I guess he has somewhere better to go."

Eddie pulled Christopher up and into his arms, fishing his phone out of his pocket. There were no messages from Buck, so he clicked into Instagram and watched the video Buck had posted in his stories, his heart leaping – he wasn't that far away; at a camping ground overlooking the river about thirty miles away.

"I'm going to get him back," Eddie said decisively, pocketing his phone. "We're going to get him back, Chris. Come on."

"You don't know that he's still there," Bobby said, following them into the workshop, briefly waving to the others. "You could be driving all that way for nothing."

"I've got to try. I'm in love with him," he said without thinking, and then stopped, turning to Bobby with a shocked expression. "Oh my god, I'm in love with him."

Christopher's tears had subsided, and he was staring at Eddie in amazement. "Really?"

"Yep. Come on. We're not letting him slip through our fingers." He grabbed the keys to his truck and his wallet, called out to the others that he was leaving and to lock up when they were done, and walked with Bobby back out to his car.

"I mean, you can't force him," Bobby said quietly, "but… maybe you could gently nudge."

"Maybe," he said. "I'm going to try my best."

He bundled Christopher into the back of his truck, climbed into the front, and waved to Bobby as they pulled away from the curb. They drove down the bustling main street and turned onto the highway, heading west. Eddie rolled down his window, resting his elbow on the ledge, one hand on the wheel as he drove, wondering if he was making the right call. Wondering if Buck even wanted to come back.

"Dad," Christopher said, half an hour into the trip. "Does he not like us anymore?"

"I think he loves us, and he's just scared," Eddie replied. "Sometimes making a big life decision is the hardest and scariest thing you can do. Buck's been on his own a long time, so it's hard for him to let people in."

Christopher was silent for a moment, and then said, "I think Mom would've liked him a lot."

Suddenly on the verge of tears, he nodded, and tried to speak. "Yeah, me too."

They lapsed into silence again, which gave Eddie time to compose himself. The sun was beginning to set as they turned into the campgrounds, driving in slowly, searching for the distinctive blue Jeep – which was nowhere to be found. Dismayed, Eddie did another lap, before pulling up into a parking space and checking his phone. "He was here. Where the hell is he?"

Buck's Instagram was unhelpful, as were his Facebook and Twitter. Eddie checked YouTube as a last resort, and gasped when he found a video, uploaded only an hour earlier.

He climbed out of the driver's seat and into the back with Christopher, holding the phone up so they could both see it. It was Buck's Honeysuckle Hamlet vlog, filled with all the people and places they were so familiar with. The main street, Athena in her police car, Hen and Karen at the diner, Chimney at the fire station and Bobby in his garden… the library, the bookshop, the coffee shop… and then Eddie's house. There were videos of Eddie and Christopher, laughing at Buck – the night they played board games, the day they drove up the mountain… the waterfall, and a glimpse of Eddie turning to Buck with a smile.

Eddie hardly realised he was crying until Buck's face filled the screen. "Hey everyone," he began, his voice more gravelly than usual. "I think I made a huge mistake today, and… I don't know what to do. I met this guy and his son, and… I've been in this town, and… I think it might be the place I was always supposed to be, but… man. I just got scared, you know? I left without saying goodbye. And now I'm at some random campsite, and he doesn't know I've gone, but… I know he'll figure it out. And I don't know if I should go back or just keep on running."

Buck's face contorted, and then disappeared from view for a second. He returned, wiping tears from his eyes, and said, "I've been running for so long. I'm not sure I know how to stop. I'm not sure I'm good enough for them. I'm not sure that I'm good enough for anyone, but god… I think I'm in love with him and I've only known him _two weeks_ , it's not possible…" he was crying openly, wiping tears as they fell. "I think I love them both. God, I'm such an idiot. I'm such a fucking idiot."

The video cut to black, and Eddie sucked in a shuddering breath.

"Dad, where is he?" Christopher whispered, on the verge of tears as well. "He didn't say where he was going."

"I don't know." Eddie tried to call Buck, but the phone went to voicemail. "God damn it. He's not here. I don't know where he's gone, and we're going to have to head home. I'm sorry, buddy. I just… I thought we could talk some sense into him."

"Me too," Christopher murmured, holding his arms out so Eddie could hug him. "We'll be okay."

"Yeah, we will," Eddie whispered, kissing his cheek.

~

The drive back was silent, and every so often he brushed away a stray tear. He felt as though his heart had snapped in two – Buck had one half, and he was gone. Maybe forever.

Eddie turned into the driveway to their house. It was dark, and he was careful as they drove along – they saw the odd deer on the road from time to time and had previously had a couple of close calls. They emerged from the trees to a house that was lit up with lights, and a blue Jeep parked near the front door – and there was Buck, sitting on the stairs with his head in his hands.

"Buck!" Christopher shouted, frantically rolling down the window. "Buck! He's here!"

Buck lifted his head, flashing them a weary smile, and as Eddie pulled the car to a stop he stood, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"We looked for you!" Christopher called to him. "We went looking for you!"

Eddie climbed out of the car, helping Christopher out of the backseat. Buck waited for them at the stairs, his eyes huge and filled with guilt. "I didn't think you'd chase after me," he said hoarsely.

"I wanted you to stay," Eddie said, for lack of anything better. "Chris and I want you to stay. I thought… you knew that."

"I'm just so scared of losing more people I care about," Buck confessed. "And I thought it'd be easier if I just disappeared, but… I couldn't leave; I got to the campsite and I just… turned around and came back. I think I'm in love with you. It's nuts; it's not… it's not right, but I couldn't leave you."

"Then don't," Eddie said, grabbing Buck by the back of the neck and pulling him in for a kiss. Christopher gasped from behind them, so Eddie didn't linger long before pulling away, gazing up at Buck imploringly. "We want you to stay," he said again firmly. "So stay."

A slow, hopeful smile spread across Buck's face. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Christopher shouted at him impatiently, and they both began to laugh, glancing at him affectionately.

"The boss has spoken," Eddie said. "What do you say, Buckley?"

Buck nodded tearfully. "I'll stay."

~

Later that night, with Christopher asleep, Eddie retreated with Buck to the hammock, pulling him into his arms, swaying back and forth beneath the rustling trees. He curled his fingers in Buck's hair, and after a long silence, murmured, "I'm feeling it too. The… love thing."

"You are?"

"Yeah. I just… I don't know; this has never happened to me before. I know I don't want you to leave," he said, clutching Buck a little tighter. "I think this place could be good for you. Maybe Chris and I could be good for you too. I don't know."

"You're not mad?" Buck asked uncertainly.

He shook his head. "No. I'm just relieved you changed your mind. We drove to the campgrounds, and then watched your video… when I couldn't find you, I thought maybe you really had run even further."

"Fuck, I shouldn't have posted that video," Buck murmured. "I was just… sometimes it helps me. I'm so used to talking my shit out on camera… it helps. It made me realise that I need to give this a chance. You and Chris, and this town… I think maybe you were right, when you said I was looking for you. Maybe I have been."

"You found me," Eddie said simply, and when Buck looked up at him with a hopeful smile, he pressed a kiss to his lips, and then murmured, "You want to go out on a date with me, Buck?"

Buck lit up like sunshine. "A date. I haven't been on a date in years."

"Me either. Take your pick – French, Italian, Indian or the diner."

He laughed. "No Mexican, huh?"

"No, I do all the Mexican cooking around here. My Abuela gave me her recipes." Eddie brushed his fingers through Buck's hair. "French."

"Okay. Did I ever tell you about the time a guy tricked me into eating frog legs in Paris?"

"Was it because you couldn't speak French?"

Buck nodded emphatically. "Yeah, why do you think I learned?"

~

With Buck deciding to stay, the first thing he had to do was find a real job – something he hadn't done in nearly a decade. It was at breakfast with their friends that the topic was discussed, and Eddie noticed Chimney scratching his chin, gazing at Buck thoughtfully.

Eddie left Buck with Bobby and Chimney and went to work, ignoring the whistles from Clay and Frank, and the questions about whether or not he "got his man." The answer to that question came at about midday, when Buck strolled into the workshop, whistling, greeting Clay and Frank like old friends, before stealing Eddie away into the office for kisses.

"So," Buck said, perching on the edge of the desk, Eddie between his legs, "Chimney offered me a job."

Eddie raised his eyebrows. "Doing what?"

"Firefighting." Buck looked hopeful. "Maybe I could do that… what do you think? He says it's more rescuing cats from trees than actually fighting fires around here, but… I could rescue cats from trees."

"Yeah, of course you could," Eddie replied enthusiastically. "You know I'm in the reserves, right?"

"You are?"

"Yeah, just in case there's a forest fire or something and they need extra hands. Chim does a lot of travelling – he was in California for the wildfires, and they asked him to go to Australia to fight the bushfires over there. He's only been back a few weeks."

"He didn't mention that."

"Yeah, but… that's him. He trained in LA," Eddie said, sliding his arms around Buck's neck, "and moved up here… ten years ago? But his old captain still calls him up when they need help. You would do on-site training with him?"

Buck nodded. "I could start tomorrow… and he gave me a lead on an apartment in town, over the pharmacy? Um… as much as I love staying with you, I should probably find my own place."

Eddie wanted to say that he could stay, but he realised it was way too soon for that. Instead he said, "I'll give you a key. You can come and go whenever you want."

"You trust me too much, Diaz," Buck replied fondly. "What if I come in and steal all your stuff?"

"Most of that stuff I got secondhand, so do your worst," Eddie teased.

Buck chuckled, but a fleeting look of apprehension crossed his face. "God, Eddie. Do you really want me to stay? Am I really doing this?"

Eddie tilted his head to the side, considering him, and then said, "This is a nice town, with nice people. It's quiet. Not a lot of action, but it has a nice community feel. There's always some kind of big community function, like markets, or a street party – stuff like that. Boring, middle-America stuff, but nice. You should stay for winter. The whole town decorates for Christmas – we go all out. You walk down Main Street and all you can smell is gingerbread and cinnamon. I do our house in Christmas lights; I climb up on the roof and everything, just to make it nice for Christopher."

Buck was gazing at him wistfully.

"Every year we go pick out a tree and cut it down," Eddie continued. "You could come along. Christopher and I drink hot chocolate and listen to Christmas music while we decorate."

"I haven't celebrated Christmas in years," Buck admitted. "This sounds really nice."

"And on Thanksgiving, we all spend the day at Bobby and Athena's. He took you up to their farm, right? You saw the lambs and the pigs?"

"Yeah, I did," Buck murmured. "It's like a storybook house."

"The whole town is like a storybook. Honestly, I think… and I'm biased, because I want you to stay – you can look all you want, but… home is where you make it. And you could make it right here, with us."

Buck kissed him again, impulsively, his hands locked around Eddie's waist. "Well," he said when they parted, "you certainly make a good argument. What night is our date?"

"Friday, 7pm. Christopher is at a sleepover." Eddie smiled impishly at him. "So we have all night."

"All night," Buck murmured. "I like the sound of that."

~

Buck moved into the apartment over the pharmacy the following week, took Chimney up on the job offer, and went out on a real date with Eddie to the nicest restaurant in town. The night ended with them falling into bed together at Eddie's house – easily one of the best nights of Eddie's entire life. And in the morning, Buck made him blueberry pancakes.

To qualify as a firefighter, Buck had to sit a couple of tests, which he passed with flying colours, and he then began working with Chimney as a trainee. It wasn't as though there were ever many fires in the town, so the fire department was limited to ten people. Buck's first callout was to rescue a dog that was stuck on a roof – literally stuck on the roof of someone's house, having climbed out through an open window and become trapped. That was front page news the next day, and Buck and Chimney had a smaller photo inset, kneeling beside the dog. Eddie cut the picture out and stuck it to the corkboard in his office.

As the weeks passed by, any talk of leaving ceased. They had date nights twice a week, but other than that Buck was over at the house with Eddie and Christopher for dinner most nights. He was immediately extended an invitation to the monthly dinners at Bobby and Athena's, and fell in with the group as though he was always meant to be there.

He made one final YouTube video – he'd received a lot of concerned comments after the previous one, and needed to clear things up. He filmed it in Eddie's backyard, with Christopher acting as director, though Eddie wasn't allowed to watch it until it was posted online later that night.

Buck gave a nod to Christopher and then left him and Eddie alone, wandering away, as if afraid of Eddie's reaction. Christopher pressed play on the video, and Buck's lovely face came into frame.

"Hi everyone," he said with a friendly smile, a light breeze ruffling his hair. "Thanks for all your comments. Sorry about my last video – I have no explanation other than I met the man I'm going to spend the rest of my life with, and… completely lost my mind for a bit."

Eddie's heart lifted at that, and he exchanged an excited look with Christopher.

Buck paused, seeming to gather his thoughts, and then said, "This is probably going to be my last vlog. Maybe not forever, but for a while. I've stopped travelling – I'm actually living in one place now, and I'm renting my own apartment, and I have a boyfriend who is… _wonderful_ ," he said, dropping his voice low. "And his son, Christopher, I'm pretty sure, is my best friend."

"I am," Christopher said from behind the camera, with a loud giggle.

Buck's face lit up with a smile. "Yeah, you are. So… I think my days of wandering the world alone are done, and I'm okay with that. I was looking for a place to call home and I found it in the middle of Washington, of all places, in this quaint little town with people who are so nice and friendly I can hardly believe it. Seriously, I had a flat tyre the other week, and about four cars pulled over on the side of the road to help me, and one of the men called Eddie – my boyfriend – and he was there in about five minutes to stage a rescue. It was all very heroic. I absolutely love it here… I don't ever want to leave."

Buck ran a hand through his hair, looking around. He finally settled on the camera again and said, "I was always looking for something. I didn't know what I was searching for, so I looked all over the world, everywhere… trying to find it. And then I ended up in this town, and… there he was. There _they_ were," he corrected, obviously grinning at Christopher. "They've given me so much; more than they'll ever know… and I'm excited about the future. About sharing the future with someone I love, rather than being on my own. It's new and exciting and scary, but… it's going to be a different kind of adventure - and I'm ready for it."

He said thank you to a few people, and then his goodbyes, before the video faded to a picture of Buck, Eddie and Christopher, taken with Buck's selfie stick in the field of wildflowers.

Buck was hovering just inside the kitchen, listening, and when the video stopped, he peeked out. Eddie rested his head on his hand and smiled at him. "That was beautiful."

"You liked it?" Buck asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I did." Eddie glanced at the laptop again, and then said, "I love you, Buck."

Buck beamed. "You do?"

"Yeah, I think we both do," he said, ruffling Christopher's hair affectionately. "Right, Chris?"

Christopher nodded sagely. "I told Buck he's not allowed to leave, ever."

"Ever," Eddie echoed, winking at Buck.

Buck stepped towards them, his eyes bright. "I love you both," he said, and pressed a hand to his heart. "So much. More than you'll ever know."

Eddie nodded at him, holding out a hand. "Come here."

Buck joined them at the table, sitting in the seat beside Eddie, pressing their foreheads together. "I'm so lucky."

"We all are," Eddie replied quietly, pulling Christopher into their huddle. "It was just meant to be."

"Definitely," Christopher agreed solemnly.

~

Thanksgiving came and went, and the week after, Buck received a phone call out of the blue from his sister, Maddie. She and her husband were divorcing, and she needed a place to stay, and was hoping Buck could fly to Pennsylvania to help her out. He agreed instantly, though they hadn't seen each other in nearly four years, and Eddie drove him to the airport in Vancouver. Buck kissed him goodbye and said, "I'll call, and text, and email, and Snapchat and everything, and I'll be home in a few days. I love you."

"I love you too," he'd replied, kissing him again. "I really love you."

Buck pressed his forehead against Eddie's briefly. "I'll be home soon."

Indeed, he was back within forty-eight hours, and Eddie made the long drive back to Vancouver to collect him and Maddie, who was mostly quiet in the car, gazing out at the scenery tearfully, clinging to Buck's hand. Eddie didn't ask too many questions, but because Buck only had the one room at his apartment, he offered Maddie his guest room with its private bathroom.

Buck decided to stay as well, to be near his sister, but Eddie and Christopher didn't mind at all having the Buckleys' with them. Maddie took a few days to settle in and open up, but one morning over coffee she admitted to Eddie that she'd discovered her husband was cheating on her with one of her best friends – which had come as a total shock, as they were right in the middle of a round of IVF. He'd kicked her out with only the clothes on her back, and it took Buck threatening to call the police before he would let Maddie into the house to pack up her things.

To go from what she thought was a happy marriage to divorce in the space of a week was emotional whiplash, and Maddie was tired and tearful most of the time, not wanting to leave the house. Christopher warmed up to her almost instantly, and he was the one who finally cracked the code and made her laugh – he showed her the video he'd taken of Buck trying and failing to milk a cow at Bobby's place, ending up flat on his back with a pissed off cow stomping away from him, milk dripping down his face.

When Maddie was finally ready to leave the house, she accompanied Buck and Eddie to the diner for breakfast with the group one morning. They liked her instantly – there wasn't much not to like, Maddie was almost as wonderful as her brother (Eddie was biased towards one Buckley in particular). Chimney took one look at her and could barely speak, he was so instantly enamoured. Maddie kept sneaking looks at him as well, and Buck leaned in close to Eddie and murmured, "Well, well, well."

It was Hen who mentioned that the library was looking for someone part-time, so Buck drove her there straight after breakfast, and half an hour later Maddie had a job.

The next step was finding her a place to live, and that was easy enough – Eddie arranged for Christopher to ask Buck to move in with them, and he and Maddie literally switched on the same day. She moved into the apartment over the pharmacy and took over the lease, and Buck moved in with Eddie and Christopher.

Two weeks later, on a Friday date night, as they wandered through the town square, drinking hot chocolate and listening to a band playing Christmas music, they ran smack into Maddie and Chimney on a date night of their own. They were waltzing to the music, dressed in their winter finery, gazing at each other like they were the only two people on the planet.

"Well," Buck said, drawing Eddie into his arms. "I guess it's official."

"Guess so," Eddie replied, and kissed him sweetly.

~

Six months later, almost a year to the day of his arrival in Honeysuckle Hamlet, Buck knelt before Eddie, in front of all of their friends, and asked him to marry him.

A week after that, Christopher interrupted Eddie in the workshop and forced him to follow him into the office, where they sat down and watched a video on Buck's channel, active again for the first time in a year.

"Hi everyone," he said, from the field of wildflowers near Eddie's house, the mountains his backdrop. "Just popped in to say hi – I've received a lot of messages asking me if everything is okay, and so I thought I'd ease your concerns. I'm fine. I'm still here, in the town I now call home, and I'm engaged to the most wonderful man on the planet. I wasn't ever planning on stopping here, you know. My car broke down right near the turn-off to the town and I was rescued by the local sheriff, who drove me to the only mechanic in town… the man I'm going to marry in a few months. I never was a big believer in fate, but… I guess some things are meant to be." Buck tucked a flower behind his ear, smiling at the camera. "So this is definitely my last video, though the channel will remain. I searched the whole world and finally found what I was looking for in a mountain town in Washington State, and for that I'm eternally grateful. And to my beloved, Eddie, and the most awesome kid in the world, Christopher – I love you both, and I'll be home soon. Safe travels, everyone."

Buck stepped out of frame, and the video lingered on the mountains and flowers for a moment, before fading to black.

And then, as if by magic, he was there, walking into the office, the same flower still tucked behind his ear. He bent to hug Christopher before sweeping Eddie up into a kiss.

"I love you," Buck said to him, his voice filled with devotion. "I love you so much, Eddie."

"I love you too, Buck," he replied, and kissed him again.

And they lived happily ever after.

-the end-

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Kat ([cinematicnomad](https://cinematicnomad.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr) for all your help!
> 
> The title is from [Heart of the Country - Paul & Linda McCartney](https://youtu.be/oGaY-fyZl5M)
> 
> Talk to me @ Tumblr: [woodchoc-magnum](https://woodchoc-magnum.tumblr.com/)


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